Wednesday, May 12, 2004
The Other Brian asked why my great grandfather was named Colonel. His father Elijah was one of seven direct ancestors who served in the Civil War. Elijah ran away twice to go to war (he was in his early teens) and was finally allowed to go instead of his brother James, whose wife was pregnant. Elijah served as a Colonel's orderly, and was probably spoiled rotten. His commanding officer made such an impression that he later named one of his children "Colonel."
Looking for Sam has written an important piece on the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq. It is hurtful to look at the pictures released. Of course the first to be court-martialed is the photographer, gotta warn others that pictures are not allowed.
This mess doesn't surprise me at all. Our "President" has arbitrarily decided that whole sets of people can be detained with no legal rights, no access to lawyers, even their names hidden away. What kind of America is this? The utter bullshit coming out of the mouth-asses of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfield is shameful. The little photo-op with the bunch of war-mongering men surrounded and supporting Rumsfield remind me of the men who crouched around General Custer at Bighorn, misguided individuals who thought they understood their enemy, only to find the folly of their achievement. I'm certain that Elijah, Ebenezer, Philip, Hiram, and my three other Civil War soldier-ancestors would be embarassed at where we are today.
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Looking for Sam has written an important piece on the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq. It is hurtful to look at the pictures released. Of course the first to be court-martialed is the photographer, gotta warn others that pictures are not allowed.
This mess doesn't surprise me at all. Our "President" has arbitrarily decided that whole sets of people can be detained with no legal rights, no access to lawyers, even their names hidden away. What kind of America is this? The utter bullshit coming out of the mouth-asses of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfield is shameful. The little photo-op with the bunch of war-mongering men surrounded and supporting Rumsfield remind me of the men who crouched around General Custer at Bighorn, misguided individuals who thought they understood their enemy, only to find the folly of their achievement. I'm certain that Elijah, Ebenezer, Philip, Hiram, and my three other Civil War soldier-ancestors would be embarassed at where we are today.
